\nBy Erik Matuszewski. Bloomberg<\/p>\n
\tPotential snowfall totals and record-low temperatures are among the extra variables oddsmakers have to take into consideration this year before they release their Super Bowl proposition wagers.<\/p>\n
\tWhen the Denver Broncos meet the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League \u2019s championship game on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford , New Jersey , it will mark the first time in the Super Bowl\u2019s 48-year history that the game is played outdoors at a site with cold winter weather.<\/p>\n
\tThe sports book at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas is delaying the release of its so-called prop bets, such as how many touchdown passes Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning might throw, due to concerns about the weather\u2019s effect. Prop bets now account for as much as 60 percent of the total money wagered on the Super Bowl at some Nevada sports books.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cEverything, except for the basic stuff, is going to pushed back a day or two so we can get a much more clearer picture of what the weather is going to be like,\u201d Jay Rood, sports book director at the MGM Mirage, said in a telephone interview from Las Vegas.<\/p>\n
\tThe Broncos are 2- to 2 1\/2-point favorites for a matchup that may have a game-time temperature below freezing. The coldest temperature at kickoff for a Super Bowl in a non-domed stadium was 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) in New Orleans in 1972.<\/p>\n
\tRood said the MGM Mirage tomorrow will put up some initial props, such as the first player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Yet the more comprehensive player prop bets the sports book usually completes by the Monday before the Super Bowl probably won\u2019t go out until Wednesday the 29th.<\/p>\n
\tWeather Forecasts<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIf we get a forecast that says there\u2019s absolutely no chance that the weather is going to be that impactful, as far as snow or whatever, we might accelerate that,\u201d Rood said. \u201cBut probably not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe Las Vegas Hotel\u2019s SuperBook doesn\u2019t plan to delay the Jan. 23 release of its Super Bowl props, yet assistant manager Jeff Sherman said oddsmakers will be watching weather forecasts when compiling betting lines.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe\u2019ll see what the weather is looking like at that time and make our numbers based on that,\u201d Sherman said by phone. \u201cEvery day we\u2019ll just check it and if it looks like things are changing, we\u2019ll make the necessary adjustment. We\u2019d rather it be nice conditions and hopefully not have an effect on the game as far as causing more turnovers or if a quarterback is having trouble throwing the ball in windy conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tQuirky Bets<\/p>\n
\tThe SuperBook last year offered more than 300 team and player prop bets, from the longest field goal and which starting quarterback would have more passing yards to whether San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore would have more rushing touchdowns than goals scored by Lionel Messi for Barcelona in a Spanish La Liga soccer match the same day.<\/p>\n
\tSherman said prop bets account for about 60 percent of the Super Bowl betting handle at the SuperBook, which is the largest sportsbook in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cEvery year when we put these up on that Thursday evening, we have a line out the door of people waiting to bet them,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cMostly people like to bet unders. I could see this year more of them saying, \u2018We\u2019re going to bet the under and if the weather is bad, maybe it will work to our benefit. If it\u2019s not, we\u2019ll work with it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPublic interest in proposition bets skyrocketed about 28 years ago, when 325-pound defensive lineman William \u201cRefrigerator\u201d Perry had a 1-yard touchdown run for the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. Vegas sports books had recently started offering prop bets, and gave up to 100-1 odds on whether Perry, who had two rushing touchdowns that season, would score. It was a costly result for the books, yet prop bets overall have helped oddsmakers make a profit or offset any losses on wagers from the game\u2019s result.<\/p>\n
\tProps Reason<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s why the props were invented,\u201d Rood said. \u201cIf the game doesn\u2019t go our way, at least we have an out on the props to maybe recoup losses if we get crushed with one-way action on the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSports book operators have consultants that send alerts on anything that might affect betting lines, from injuries and off-field incidents involving players to the weather.<\/p>\n
\tAfter the Super Bowl was played in domed stadiums the past three years, weather forecasts take more importance this season, especially with the game held in the New York area.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe\u2019re pretty mindful of everything,\u201d Rood said. \u201cWe might start up with fairly low betting limits to start out. Then we\u2019d amp it up as the crowds show up in Las Vegas that Friday before the game. By then, we\u2019d know with more certainty what\u2019s in store weather-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n